This application claims the priority of German application 196 19 977.8-13 filed in Germany on May 17, 1996, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to an internal-combustion engine, particularly for a motor vehicle, having an oil pan.
In the case of internal-combustion engines, in general, essentially only individual components, such as an oil filter, an oil pump, an oil pan, an oil cooler, sensors and additional assemblies required for this purpose are used in the oil circulating system.
From German Patent Document DE-OS 29 22 695, an arrangement of a lubricating oil filter and of a lubricating oil pump in a housing arranged below the engine is known which also serves as an oil pan or comprises it.
From German Patent Document DE-OS 29 23 993, an oil pan for internal-combustion engines is known which is cast in one piece and in which case a receiving device for an oil filter housing is molded to the exterior side of the oil pan. Furthermore, the oil pan is provided with oil ducts.
A two-part oil pan is known from German Patent Document DE-OS 42 42 513. In this case, a pan section contains a box-type oil filter.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an internal-combustion engine of the initially mentioned type, in the case of which, all or at least the most important functions and components of the oil circulating system are combined to form a subassembly which constitutes a ready-to-be-installed construction.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing an oil pan, having an oil pan housing, oil ducts, molded into the oil pan housing, and an oil filter housing with an oil filter and an oil pump integrated in the oil pan, wherein the oil pan, together with the oil filter and the oil pump, are configured to be mounted and/or demounted as a unit on the internal-combustion engine.
As a result of the construction of the oil pan according to the invention, a so-called oil module is created which, after a corresponding preassembling of all piece parts as a whole can be connected with the internal-combustion engine.
This integration of the oil circulating system into the oil pan saves many separate components, such as intake pipes, filter housings, cooler housings and similar devices. In addition to the facilitated mounting and a demounting which is facilitated for servicing and repair purposes, the solution according to the invention also has cost and weight advantages during the manufacturing of an internal-combustion engine.
In a constructive development, wall parts of the oil pan can form at least portions of housings of the individual assemblies of the oil circulating system, such as oil filter housings and oil coolers.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.